I write what I like.

Archive for the tag “President Salva Kiir Mayardit”

(September 12, 2019, JUBA, South Sudan) The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is pleased with the positive progress in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.

The face – to – face meeting between H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the First Vice President-Designate, H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny that resulted in a way forward on pending Security Arrangements issues, is a significant step in the right direction.

“The remaining critical tasks of the agreement can only be completed with unity and compromise. The mood in Juba is very encouraging. It is feasible to form a unity government in November 2019,” said Ambassador Ismail Wais, the Special Envoy of IGAD for South Sudan.

“We call on the non-signatory groups to come in from the cold and join the nation-building and solutions,” Ambassador Wais added.

IGAD reiterates its commitment and support of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

We call on the International Community and the friends of South Sudan to support the positive momentum and expedite their support for the completion of the remaining critical tasks.

IGAD commends President Salva Kiir Mayardit for his leadership to broker a peace deal between the rebels and the government in the Republic of Sudan. It is clear demonstration of the potential role South Sudan can play in the security of the region.

A statement from James Reynolds, ICRC’s head of delegation in South Sudan, on the situation in the country one year after the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

JUBA, South Sudan, September 11, 2019 – One year after the signing of the peace deal, violence is still pervasive in South Sudan, as clashes between communities threaten lives and the fragile stability.

Surgical teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continue to treat a large number of patients with gunshot wounds, while needs of the most affected communities remain high. Redoubled efforts are needed to bring a durable peace.

The number of patients with injuries from violence admitted to our surgical units have increased since the signing of the peace deal. From October 2017 to June 2018, 526 patients were admitted, mostly with gunshot wounds. The same period a year later (October 2018 to June 2019) we had 688, an increase of nearly 25 percent. In only one week in April, the ICRC evacuated by air 39 patients with weapon wounds to a hospital we support, forcing us to increase the number of beds in the unit by a third to accommodate the needs.

Violence is also impacting health centres. ICRC teams have collected information on 24 incidents in which facilities were looted or staff threatened since the signing of the peace deal, and this data may only reflect part of the incidents affecting health structures and personnel. In a country where so few health care facilities are functioning after decades of war and under-development, the closure of even one clinic means entire communities go without care, turning preventable, treatable diseases deadly.

The last year has also seen little improvement for most South Sudanese. There are more people facing food insecurity today in the country than at any point since the armed conflict between government forces and the opposition started more than five years ago. People are living in limbo, and recent clashes in some parts of the country, such as Equatoria, continue to displace thousands of people who are then unable to harvest their crops and instead rely on humanitarian aid.

Families have been torn apart by decades of conflict. Today, the ICRC is searching for more than 4,200 South Sudanese whose relatives have reported them as missing. Tragically, with four million South Sudanese still displaced inside the country and across its borders, the number of people who do not know where their loved ones are is likely much higher. Knowing the fate of their missing relatives would offer many South Sudanese the opportunity to move on.

The ICRC has been in South Sudan since its independence in 2011. We also served the needs of South Sudanese during the Sudan’s long war. We can say through firsthand experience that it is impossible to exaggerate the toll that decades of war, violence and uncertainty have had on communities.

It is our hope that the peace deal holds. The return to full-scale conflict in South Sudan could mean that civilians are again exposed to deliberate attacks and displacement, despite being protected under international law.

However, even if today’s current conditions hold, the levels of violence in South Sudan between communities, made possible by the easy access to guns in the country, will continue to threaten the peace and stability that South Sudanese need to recover and rebuild a country that has largely only known war.

(September 10, 2019, JUBA, South Sudan) The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) welcomes the meeting of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the leader of SPLM/A-I.O., Dr. Riek Machar Teny in Juba, South Sudan, as part of the effort to iron out issues related to transitional security arrangements and the number of States and boundaries.

The meeting is timely and an important step towards not only resolving challenges related to outstanding critical pre-transitional tasks but also building trust and confidence among the Parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (the R-ARCSS).

IGAD commends the Republic of Sudan for facilitating and supporting the face-to-face meeting. IGAD will continue to encourage and support face-to-face meetings between the two principals as well as among leaders of all Parties to the R-ARCSS agreement to ensure the timely formation and smooth functioning of the Revitalized Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU.

In this regard, the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, Amb. Dr. Ismail Wais called on all the Parties to the R-ARCSS to show compromise and resolve all issues through dialogue. He also urged the international community and friends of South Sudan to continue supporting the implementation of the peace agreement to meet the critical milestones set for the formation of the Revitalized Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) on November 12, 2019

I am delighted today to have witnessed the hand-over of in-kind support destined for different parts of South Sudan in order to facilitate the cantonment process. The materials were kindly donated by the African Union Commission (AUC).

The in-kind support, which is in the form of large, durable tents to house former combatants while they undergo cantonment, will go a long way in furthering the cantonment process.

This is indeed a great step towards achieving successful cantonment, which is an essential component of the Pre-Transitional tasks.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the AUC for the consignment, and I urge all other partners to offer their unwavering support towards the critical process of cantonment. It is my hope that more support will arrive in the coming days and weeks.

I would also like to acknowledge the donation of 1500 tons of rice from the government of The People’s Republic of China which has been received. Through the Ambassador of China, I would like to extend my thanks to the government of The People’s Republic of China.

It is my expectation that by end of this month, September, we will have attained the required number of troops, that is 50% of the Necessary Unified Forces.

The hand-over of the AUC and Chinese consignments comes at a time when the R-ARCSS is shortly to mark the first anniversary of its signing, which is on 12 September 2018. I hope that together we will achieve much more before the end of the extended Pre-Transitional period.

Well, today there is revealed that former leader of SPLM – Former Detainees (SPLM-FD), Pagan Amum have launched himself a new party, the Real-SPLM. This is revealed when he signed the declaration with other opposition officials during this weekend.

However, there has no been mentioned two SPLM within a few liner notes. You have much more, which makes things really confusing. You have the President Salva Kiir Mayardit party, which is the SPLM/A-IG (In-Government) or the SPLM/A. Than you have Dr. Riek Machar who has his SPLM/A-IO (In-Opposiiton). Just to make it more confusing, you have Dr. Taban Deng own fraction of SPLM-IO, whose part of the TGoNU or R-TGoNU if you may.

When your thinking this is to much. Than you have the SPLM-N, whose itself is split into two groups. You have the SPLM-N run by Malik Agar and the SPLM-N Al Hilu Group, lead by Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu. So with that in mind, there is just a several organizations with different prefixes and this it all.

Just to continue, this is not yet final. There is also SPLM – Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), which was headed by Dr. Lam Akol, who has later started his own party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), which is not in connection with the SPLM or anyone sounding like it.

This are the ones I know about right now. Key, that I know about right now. I might have left someone out, but this is the list I got.

My current SPLM list:

SPLM = Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement

SPLM/A-(IG)

SPLM/A-IO; Machar

SPLM/A-IO; Taban

SPLM-FD

SPLM-N; Agar*

SPLM-N; al-Hilu*

SPLM-DC

SPLM/A-Upper Nile Group (under commander Deng Kelay Riak)

R-SPLM (Real-SPLM)

*Based in Sudan and not in South Sudan.

That is six parties with very similar names and with personification of the leadership. This sort of things has happen with the SPLM in the past too. As in 1991, the SPLM got into two. The SPLM/A Nasir fraction and the SPLM/A Toriet fraction. In 1994/95 you also had the split within the SPLM/A-United. Therefore, this sort of actions has happened in the past and continues to this day.

What it is showing is that it get hectic and you got to keep you mind correct. Because, without further due, you mention the wrong party and the wrong leader. In addition, what also comes to question with the new party mentioned these days, the Real-SPLM, whose the fake one?

Because, something gotta give. There must be a reason why he calls his party and the other ones are named differently. Unless, there are so few prefixes left. That to be able to establish something profound. He had to use real. Not like you want to start the Fake-SPLM or F-SPLM, if I may.

There is a lot of history, a lot of battles, betrayal and also hurt in this here. Where the leadership has crossed each other and therefore made these alliances. However, this also shows the lack of unity and movement towards on point. Even though all of them claim to be part of the SPLM, just in various fractions. Which states the obvious.

That there is a disconnect between the SPLM/A-IG and the rest. As there was a need to start all the others parties with a very similar connotation. If I have forgotten anything or anyone. Please feel free to mention it. Because this is how far I got today. Peace.

The Commissioners will hold a press conference on Friday, 23 August 2019, at 1100 hrs in the UNMISS Tomping Base in Juba.

JUBA, South Sudan, August 23, 2019 – Members of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan began their seventh field mission to South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya earlier this week. The mission, currently underway, is taking place from 19 to 26 August 2019.

In Juba, Bentiu, and Yei (South Sudan), the Commissioners met with UN representatives, international organizations, and community members comprising religious leaders and civil society, including women’s groups, recent returnees, and internally displaced persons.

“We are deeply concerned that, despite overall armed conflict having waned considerably since the signing of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, little progress has been made to adhere to the terms of the agreement,” said Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka. “Civilians with whom we spoke still raised numerous concerns that they feel are barriers to sustainable peace,” she added.

Intercommunal violence premised on cattle-raiding has recently spiked in South Sudan, including in Bahr al-Ghazal. During their visit, the Commissioners listened to South Sudanese women, men, and children express numerous concerns including localization of conflict linked to land, resources, and cattle, continued impunity for sexual and gender-based violence, delays and inefficiencies in implementing the Revitalized Peace Agreement of September 2018 , deteriorating living conditions for those internally displaced, the securitization of the state and continued shrinking space for civic engagement, frustration with the functioning of the judiciary, and the absence of accountability mechanisms including establishment of the Hybrid Court, among others.

“Despite the numerous challenges we heard, we were encouraged by the fact that committees composed of military and civil actors have been formed to improve civil-military relations and support local justice and reconciliation in Yei River State, where civilians could raise dispute resolutions,” said Commissioner Andrew Clapham. “Such mechanisms that facilitate communication between armed actors and civilians could be replicated in other locations where violent conflict and violations have been witnessed in the country,” he noted.

Impunity for conflict-related sexual violence and sexual and gender-based crimes in South Sudan also remains at an all-time high, while survivors of sexual violence still have limited access to redress. In Bentiu, the Commission heard testimonies of sexual violence from women who are waiting to share their stories with an accountability mechanism. “The lack of progress in establishing transitional justice mechanisms, including the Hybrid Court, the commission for truth, reconciliation, and healing and the compensation and reparation authority, which are to be complemented by customary and other community-centred mechanisms, is delaying accountability and reparation for these and other crimes,” said Commission member Barney Afako. “So long as the voices of victims and survivors are not empowered, and these mechanisms not put in place, it is highly unlikely that South Sudanese women, men, girls, and boys will be able to witness a lasting peace,” he added.

In closing, the Commission stressed the importance of overcoming delays regarding the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and encouraged the positive work being carried out by the National Constitutional Amendment Committee.

The Commissioners will hold a press conference on Friday, 23 August 2019, at 1100 hrs in the UNMISS Tomping Base in Juba.

From 25 to 29 August 2019, the Commissioners will separately visit Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya, where they will engage with refugees who have been recently displaced from South Sudan. In Ethiopia, they will hold meetings with African Union leaders, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), senior UN officials, as well as other members of the international community.

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to, among other things; determine and report the facts and circumstances of, collect and preserve evidence of, and clarify responsibility for alleged gross violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes, including sexual and gender-based violence and ethnic violence, with a view to ending impunity and providing accountability. The Commission will present an oral update on the human rights situation in South Sudan to the Human Rights Council on 16 September 2019 and a comprehensive written report in March 2020.